Dental x-rays as screening tools for stroke, osteoporosis?

17 Jun 2002

Two studies published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) suggest that dental x-rays are effective screening tools for strokes and osteoporosis. One study, conducted by researchers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Sepulvada, Calif., examined cepholometric x-rays of 1,063 healthy men between the ages 25 and 85 to determine if they revealed atherosclerotic lesions or blockage in the carotid artery that carries blood to the brain.

The V.A. researchers discovered that 2 percent of the subjects had blockages that were visible at the third and fourth cervical vertebrae, an area that is visible to dentists who use a cephalometric x-ray machine. This equipment is commonly used by orthodontists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons to evaluate the jaws and face for deformities.

"We found that using the pixel intensity and fractal dimension diagnosis of dental x-rays was just as effective as traditional diagnostic methods in measuring bone density," said Dr. Anne-Marie Bollen, assistant professor, Department of Orthodontics at the University of Washington School of Dentistry.